The present disclosure relates to an image forming apparatus in which a toner container is removably attached.
An electro-photographic image forming apparatus forms an image by visualizing an electrostatic latent image formed on an image carrier by using toner and by transferring the visualized image on a recording sheet. When an amount of the toner reduces to a predetermined amount or less, the toner is replenished from a toner container.
The image forming apparatus is provided with an opening for attaching/detaching the toner container. The opening is openable/closable by a cover. An attachment member removably holing the toner container and electrically connected with the toner container is provided within the opening. When the toner container is electrically connected with the attachment member, various information is transmitted from the toner container. For instance, the toner container is provided with an IC tag storing information, such as a type number and a serial number. When the toner container is attached to the attachment member, radio communication is made between the IC tag and a control part of the image forming apparatus, and various controls are made based on the information stored in the IC tag. If the toner container is removed while electrically connected with the attachment member, there is a possibility that an operation of the image forming apparatus is ill-effected by hot swapping.
Meanwhile, some toner container is provided with a collection part collecting waste toner. If the image forming apparatus is operated without attaching such toner container, there is a possibility that the waste toner clogs and the image carrier causes malfunction.
In order to cope with this problem, there is proposed an image forming apparatus configured such that the toner container is provided with a lever, and such that it becomes possible to detect that the toner container has been attached and to close a cover by turning the lever after attaching the toner container to the toner container attaching part, i.e., such that it is unable to close the cover unless the toner container is attached.
The image forming apparatus as described above is provided with a rib or a projection that interferes with the cover in order to prevent the cover from being closed in a condition in which the toner container is not attached. Therefore, if the cover is erroneously closed in the condition in which the toner container is not attached, there is a possibility that the rib or the projection or a component interfering with the rib and the projection is damaged. Further, if it is configured to be unable to close the door unless the toner container is attached, it becomes hard to convey the image forming apparatus because the cover may be kept opened in a case where it is necessary to convey the image forming apparatus in the condition in which the toner container is not attached for a purpose of maintenance or the like.
It is noted that there is a case when the image forming apparatus is configured so as to detect an opened/closed condition of the cover and to disconnect the electrical connection between the toner container attaching part and the toner container when the cover is opened in order to avoid the hot swapping. That is, although it is necessary to open the cover in order to attach/detach the toner container, the hot swapping may be avoided because the electrical connection is disconnected at the time when the cover is opened.
Thus, it is necessary to detect the opened/closed condition of the cover in order to avoid the hot swapping. It is also necessary to detect whether or not the attachment member is connected with the toner container in order to prevent the malfunction of the image carrier caused by clogging of the waste toner. If these detections are conducted independently, a number of sensors may increase to increase a cost and to complex the controls. Because a full-color image forming apparatus requires a number of toner containers, the number of sensors may increase to increase the cost and to complex of the controls and structure further.